In every skilled profession under the sun, establishing your credibility and your commitment to your craft helps you achieve long-term career success. And that especially holds true for trade professions such as building, carpentry, and construction.
For aspiring building professionals in Queensland, gaining formal building qualifications such as a Queensland builder licence (also known as a QBCC licence or a QBCC supervise licence) will open many doors and can lead to a successful building career.
Obtaining formal builder qualifications demonstrates your professionalism and your desire and intent to succeed in your trade career. It will officially confirm that you have learnt the practical skills, gained industry knowledge, and ultimately that you have the ability to manage a building project as well as a construction site. And perhaps most importantly, it will help your customers trust you enough to do business with you.
Queensland’s four builder licences explained
If you are looking at how to obtain a Queensland contractor licence and become a builder in Queensland, there are four types of builder licences available in Queensland, as follows:
- Contractor licence: This licence permits the holder to contract for carpentry work.
- Company licence: A builder licence that permits a company to contract for and perform carpentry work.
- Nominee Supervisor licence: This licence allows the holder to supervise work on behalf of a licensed company, but you cannot contract out individually to perform carpentry work.
- Site Supervisor licence: This qualification enables the holder to supervise work on behalf of a licensed contractor. However, you cannot contract out individually to perform carpentry work or be appointed as a nominated supervisor for a building company.
Recommended reading:
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Who oversees Queensland builder licences?
The Queensland building industry is regulated by the Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC), and that includes the issuing of builder licences in the state. Through the QBCC individuals can apply for various subclasses of builder licences relative to the types of builder jobs they plan to do.
If you plan to perform any of the following types of construction work in Queensland, you will be required to hold a current and valid builder’s licence:
- Any building work totaling more than $3,300.
- Any building work involving hydraulic services design and totaling more than $1,100.
- Any work covering site classification, building design, residential building inspection, fire protection, termite management, gas fitting, plumbing, and drainage.
However, related building and construction professionals such as electricians, handymen, and architects are not required to hold a QBCC licence.
Licence requirements for builders in Queensland vary depending on the class of licence. These requirements validate the qualification, technical skills, and knowledge of best practices in construction, building, and contract administration. These requirements can include the following:
- Evidence of completing the required units of study applicable to the licence class you are applying for.
- A certificate of recognition that qualifies you to perform the type and scope of work required by the licence class.
- A Certificate IV in Building and Construction, or successful completion of an equivalent course.
- A Diploma of Building and Construction (Building).
How to apply for a Queensland builder licence?
Each Queensland builder licence has its own application requirements. Once you have chosen the Queensland builder licence that will best match the work you intend on doing, you are ready to apply by following these three steps.
- Download and complete the Builder and Designer Experience Form from the QBCC website.
- Complete the Builders Licence Application Form fom the QBCC website, including details regarding at minimum two to four years of relevant building experience. To reduce the chance of delays in processing your licence application, ensure you include proof of identity, your technical qualifications, three written references, and any relevant financial information.
- Submit your application to your local QBCC branch. If successful you will be informed by postal mail.
Queensland builder licence checklist
Experience
- Two years of work experience in the licence class; and
- other work equivalent to experience in the scope of work for the class.
These two years can be spent in the following ways:
- Building work on a class 1 or class 10 building. Building work on classes 2 to 9 buildings with a gross floor area that doesn’t exceed 2,000m², but not including Type A or Type B construction.
- Building work that is of non-structural work on a building, regardless of the class or the gross floor area of the building.
- Preparing plans and specifications, provided they are for the licensee’s personal use, or for work to be performed by the licensee.
To contribute towards your Queensland builder qualification your on-the-job experience, whether as a sub-contractor or as an employee, must be paid work.
It is worth noting that you aren’t required to do the two years of on-the-job experience consecutively. However, you must prove that you have gained two years’ full-time equivalent experience within a maximum period of 10 years from the date of your builder licence application.
The licensed builder/s who act as your references for your practical builder experience must have held a Qualified Supervisor Certificate or Individual Contractor Licence in the scope of work for your class.
All other applicants will require four years’ experience in the licence class scope of work, or other work the QBCC is satisfied is at least equivalent to experience in the scope of work for the class.
You will also need to provide references from the licensed builder or builders you worked under. And those builders need to have held a Qualified Supervisor Certificate or Individual Contractor Licence in the scope of work for the class while you were reporting to them.
All other applicants will require four years of experience in the licence class scope of work, or other work the QBCC is satisfied is at least equivalent to experience in the scope of work for the class.
Qualifications for getting a building licence in Queensland
As well as your two years of practical builder experience, you are also required to complete a Certificate IV in Building and Construction, from TAFE or another education provider, as well as one of the following building qualifications:
- A current Carpentry or Bricklaying Contractor licence or Supervisor Certificate, or an approved qualification that would qualify for a licence to be issued.
- Diploma of Building and Construction (Building).
- Civil Engineering, Structural Engineering, Architecture, Housing, Construction, Construction Management, Construction Economics, Applied Science (Building), Quantity Surveying.
- A degree in Building, Construction, Construction Management, Construction Economics, Applied Science (Building), or Quantity Surveying.
Paperwork to include with your Queensland builder licence application
- Your formal qualifications for the class of licence for which you are applying.
- Three written references from qualified builders.
- Evidence that you will be able to meet the minimum financial requirements.
- Proof of identity.
- A current copy of your Record of Registration from ASIC, if you intend to take on contract work under a trading name.
- Proof of a business partnership if you intend to contract under a partnership arrangement.
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